A $100,000 fee attached to new H-1B visa applications by the Trump administration is causing concerns for international students in Charlotte and employers looking to hire foreign workers.
The H-1B visa enables non-citizens to work in the U.S for an initial three years, which can then be extended for another three years. The visa is something many international students seek after graduating from college. Typically, international students who graduate from college often decide they either want to continue their professional development in the U.S. or go home.
Those who stick around often choose to stay in the country for either a year or two years via a STEM OPT (Optional Practical Training). The OPT allows international students to get work experience in the U.S.
After the OPT, international students who want to continue to work in the U.S. often hope their employers can sponsor them on an H-1B visa. Including lawyer and government fees, the cost for an H-1B visa application can range between $4,000 and $7,000, with the fee being less for nonprofits or academic institutions.
But, with the recent $100,000 announcement by the Trump administration last month, local immigration attorneys say they’re seeing anxiety among employers, workers and students, as many employers either won’t or can’t pay the new six-figure fee.
According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in North Carolina, IBM Corporation, Bank of America and Lowe's had the most H-1B visa workers in the 2025 fiscal year.
Darren is an international student who graduated from a local college in Charlotte two years ago. WFAE is only using his first name because of visa concerns. Darren had hopes of asking his current employer to sponsor him, but now has doubts.
"Is it even worth going to my employer to ask? Because we already know the answer,” Darren said. "So, for me, it’s having to think of other routes and pathways to stay in this country. I’ve been here for six years, my whole adult life is essentially here, so having to go back home is a sucker punch.”
About 85,000 H-1B visas are handed out each year. Litigation over the $100,000 fee being imposed on new H-1B visa applications by the Trump administration is ongoing.
